It was against the law to be Catholic in Elizabethan England, so William Byrd composed Masses in secret. He composed a series of three Catholic Masses between 1592 and 1595, secretly presented in private homes to evade the possibility of imprisonment for treason. Byrd’s deeply personal and devout Masses represent a remarkable portrait of faith in a time of religious persecution. This concert featured Byrd’s evocative Mass for Five Voices, and included the proper motets and chants for a complete service.
